Score: 3 stars
Purchase Hyperlink: Amazon | iBooks | Amazon UK
Size: Novel
If accountant Dan James is aware of one factor, it’s that he’s thought-about “boyfriend materials.” That’s why, when his girlfriend of six years just lately broke up with him, it shook him to his core. Dan is decided to recover from the heartache by shaking issues up, however he can’t try this whereas sofa browsing at his brother’s house. Dan is satisfied that there are three keys to shedding his picture as a stuck-up stick within the mud. First, discover a place to remain. Second, get a brand new job. Third, discover ways to be single. As a lot as he’s loath to confess it, there may be one one that may be capable of assist—Brody’s faculty nemesis, the infamous playboy, Andy Jacobs.
Andy knew he screwed up huge time when he tried choosing up a lovely lady solely to find she had an much more engaging boyfriend…make that ex-boyfriend. Andy could by no means know why Dan bought dumped, however he’s completely keen to offer Dan with every part he wants to begin over: a spot to remain, an accounting job at his fitness center, and classes in hooking up. If that appears like an uncommonly good factor to do for one’s sworn enemy, Andy simply has to remind himself that he’s the social superior on this association and he’ll have each alternative to lord it over Dan. Nevertheless, there may be one factor Andy doesn’t account for and that’s the incontrovertible fact that Dan is bisexual. As quickly as Andy begins demonstrating how you can push the envelope with regards to attractive a possible hook up, he realizes he feels a spark of attraction for Dan. That spark turns into an inferno when Dan decides to attempt to one up Andy at his personal recreation. Issues begin heating up between Andy and Dan, however they run the chance of burning out if neither one can put aside their years-old grudge lengthy sufficient to clear the air between them.
Obsessive about the Participant is a recent enemies-to-lovers story from writer Rina Daman. Our two MCs are of their early twenties, each graduates of the identical faculty, and at vastly completely different locations in life. Dan is having an identification disaster and hoping to “discover ways to be single,” whereas Andy is on the prime of his recreation. Whereas it looks as if these two couldn’t be extra dissimilar, they’re really far more alike than they notice at first. The e-book makes use of alternating narrative viewpoints, switching between Dan and Andy as narrator. This provides us a front-seat look into their inside ideas and the reader rapidly learns that each Dan and Andy share one enormous factor in frequent: a passionate attraction to one another. Their historical past as enemies, nevertheless, mainly prevents them from admitting their curiosity till the massive climax of the story.
I selected this e-book as a result of I like enemies-to-lovers tropes. Personally, I used to be underwhelmed with the execution on this e-book. It’s extraordinarily clear that Dan and Andy don’t get alongside and that their dislike stems from a fateful day when Andy made a move at Dan’s then-girlfriend. However that each one comes out later. The story opens in the meanwhile Dan is about to throw himself upon Andy’s mercy, turning to him for housing, employment, and hook-up recommendation. I felt like there was no affordable justification for why Dan would entrust mainly every part about his life to a person he’s satisfied he hates.
I additionally didn’t really feel just like the characters’ identities have been very clear. Regardless of my confusion over the hows and whys of Dan and Andy getting collectively, as soon as they made that leap, it set off an intense response in every of them. They all of the sudden couldn’t hold their arms off one another and located/made any and each excuse to get down and soiled collectively. These two have been extremely intense collectively and that was equally matched by the drama of their emotions. The melodrama was helped alongside by the truth that Dan went to Andy for assist and stipulated it might be a two-month deal. As the times and weeks handed, each Dan and Andy struggled to see how their “classes” may finish in something apart from heartbreak. This added to the drama of the ultimate climax once they come clear about their relationship being extra than simply intercourse.
I believed Obsessive about the Participant was good at promoting a sex-based relationship between two well-matched characters. Andy was the sexually dominant character who extra submissive-minded Dan may actually join with. Nevertheless, it felt just like the “the MCs are enemies” and “Dan should study from Andy” have been poorly substantiated, at the same time as these two concepts are so typically repeated by each MCs. If you happen to’re on the lookout for a learn that actually delivers on the spice and also you’re not choosy about how the “enemies” of “enemies to lovers” works, then I believe you’ll be happy with the story.
